‘Samosa Caucus’ may increase as Indian American wins Democratic nomination for Congressional seat with even winning odds
New York, Aug 7 : The “Samosa Caucus” is likely looking at the possibility of increasing its numbers in Congress after an Indian American won the Democratic Party nomination for a Congressional seat in Arizona where he has an even chance of winning the constituency now held by a Republican.
Amish Shah has won the Democratic Party’s primary – the intraparty election – to select the party nominee to contest from the constituency that includes parts of Phoenix and Scottsdale.
One of the most tightly contested races will play out in that constituency because the sitting Republican, David Schweikert, squeaked through with a lead of less than 1 per cent in the 2022 election for a seat the Democrats had won in the previous five elections.
The seat is targeted by the Democratic Party for recapture.
If he wins, Shah will add to the five-member “Samosa Caucus” of Indian American members of the House of Representatives, which is almost certain to pick up another member, Suhas Subramanyam who won the Virginia Democratic primaries in a constituency overwhelmingly dominated by the party.
A doctor, Shah defeated five fellow Democrats to win the nomination for the seat in the July 30 primary.
He has been elected to the Arizona House of Representatives three times.
Shah’s father is a Jain and his mother is a Hindu and both came to the US as engineering students.
Born and raised in Chicago, he is an emergency physician who has specialised in sports medicine and was involved with the National Football League helping it improve its emergency management system, according to his campaign biography.
Indian American Impact Fund, which works to support Indian American candidates for office, said it invested $200,000 to support him.
The Fund’s Executive Director Chintan Patel said: “We are thrilled to celebrate Dr. Amish Shah’s victory in the Arizona congressional primary. Amish is ready to take on MAGA (Donald Trump-backed Make American Great Again movement) extremism, protect abortion rights, and defend our democracy.”
A columnist for the Arizona Republic said that Shah has a Republican past, having voted in that party’s primary in 2016 and supporting the party while working in New York.
Although his past was used against him by opponents in the primary campaign, he ran a grassroots campaign, going door to door, according to the paper, helping him overcome it.
(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
